Spiritual Tourism V - Heavens on Earth

About Astrology, the Science of Time, an indicativeLord.
science which indicates events happening in the FourAfter describing the Indescribable, the poet asked for
Dimensional Space-Time Continuum, the Eternalthe Lord'sforgiveness.
Continuum in which we exist, live and breathe.Defining Deity in terms of humanity, is like defining the
Guruvayur - The Lourdes of IndiaCenter in termsof the Circumference !
Like the famous Lourdes, Guruvayur is known for itsIn Ignorance I have defined Thee
legends andeffectiveness. This is where the greatLord forgive, my body spake !
poet Melpathur wrote a treatise onthe Lord ( theI defined the Indefinable
Narayaneeyam ). Guruvayur was also adorned by theI spoke about the Ineffable
PoetFor that guilt O Lord,
Laureate, Poontanam, who compose the Jnanapana, aPlease forgive my frailties !
great poem in Malayalam.The poet appreciates the Form of the Lord, instead of
The great poet defined the Cosmic Man or the Lordthe Formless Absolute
thusIt is in Thy Form
That which is Timeless and SpacelessThat Thee revealed to me
That which is eternally FreeThat Form is greater than all,
That which is the Aim of all sciences divineEven though Thy Form is Unmanifest !
That which is the Alpha and the OmegaThe Birthday of the Lord
That which is All in All,How can the Birthless and the Deathless, the Eternal
To that Principle Divine, I bow !Principle, have abirthday? This philosophical problem is
The Condensed Absolut Being, Absolute Knowledge,solved thus. In Bridal Mysticism,where the Self is the
Absolute Bliss is the Lord,who sports in the garden ofLover, Self is the Bride, a human form is given to the
the Upanishads !Divine. This is anthropomorphisation. He is the Consort
His Destructive Form as Time Eternal, as the Zodiac,in the form of the
was defined by the poetthusIshta Devata or Tutelary Deity !
With 12 wheels and 360 degreesThe Birthday of the Lord of Guruvayur falls on the 8th
With speed supernal, cruel ,lunation ( Ashtami ,on the asterism Rohini !
To disseminate Karma to all,The Elephant Race
Thy True Form is Time !On the first day of the Festival, which was on 23rd
Legend has it that Jupiter, Guru and Saturn, VayuKumbham ( Aquarius ), 20elephants run a race. The
chose this place toincarnate. The Seers predicted thatNinth day is Pallivetta, when the Lord goeshunting. The
this place will become a Heaven onTenth Day is Arattu, when the Lord takes bath in the
Earth, attracting pilgrims the world over. The greatTemplepond, witnessed by millions !
philosopher, Sankara,worshipped the Lord at thisGuruvayur is just 30 Kms away from Trichur, which is
temple. Most of the VIPs of the world, thejust 50 kms from Kochin
Indian PM, CMs etc have all graced this templeAirport. You can get buses or trains to Guruvayur.
The worlds's largest elephant sanctuary is here atTravel is jsut 40 minutesfrom Trichur.
Guruvayur, housing asmany as 62 elephants. Most ofGuruvayur figures amongst the top ten places for
these elephants were given as offerings to theReligious Tourism, as far asincome is concerned.